1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a contact strip comprising adjacent contact blade members.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Card connectors, such as connectors for electronic circuit cards and smart cards, usually include a switch whose function is to sense the presence of the card and in particular to sense when the card reaches its end of travel position.
Connectors of this kind are described in European Patent application EP 366 513 (ITT) and in French Patent application FR 2 623 314 (ALCATEL CIT), for example. These patents describe a movable blade member spring-loaded in a direction opposite to the translational movement of inserting a card in a card reader, an edge of the card bearing against the blade member and moving it against the action of the spring-loading means.
Each of the travel sensors of the above type have the disadvantage of taking up room on one edge of the card connector, and in particular of increasing its thickness, and of being able to sense an end-of-travel position only in a reader into which the card is inserted horizontally.
An object of the present invention is a contact strip having contacts for sensing the presence of a card or for sensing the end of travel position of a card, whether the card is inserted by translatory movement or by closing a cover pivoted to a contact frame comprising the contact members.